Reclosable container

ABSTRACT

A reclosable container is disclosed in which a composite wall comprises an outer and an inner panel disposed in flat face contacting relation to each other. The outer panel is secured in an area along a free edge thereof to the inner panel and a pair of serrated weakened severance lines are formed in the outer panel in parallel relationship to each other and to the free edge of the outer panel to define a tear strip whereby the outer panel is separated from the inner panel upon removal of the tear strip. An opening is formed in the inner panel and in coincidence with the reclosing serrations formed in the outer panel along an edge of the tear strip remote from the free edge of the outer panel.

United States Patent Lock [45] Mar. 14, 1972 [54] RECLOSABLE CONTAINER Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair [72] Inventor Joseph Lock Mableton Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe [73] Assignee: The Mead Corporation Attorney-Walter M. Rodgers [21] Appl 58562 A reclosable container is disclosed in which a composite wall comprises an outer and an inner panel disposed in flat face [521 US. Cl. ..229/51 TC contacting relation to each The P is seemed [51] 365d 5/54 in an area along a free edge thereof to the inner panel and a 58 Field of Search ..229/s1 "rs, 51 TC, 51 so, 85 Pair Semed weakened Seve'me (med outer panel in parallel relationship to each other and to the [56] Reerences Cited free edge of the outer panel to define a tear strip whereby the outer panel is separated from the inner panel upon removal of UNITED STATES PATENTS the tear strip. An opening is formed in the inner panel and in coincidence with the reclosing serrations formed in the outer 3,270,946 9/ l 966 Redpath et al. ..229/5l SC pane| along-an edge of the tear strip remote from the f edge 3,036,755 5/1962 Stone ...229/51 TS ofthe outer paneL 2,651,450 9/1953 Ellsworth ...229/5l SC 2,680,558 6/1954 Mai ..229/51 TS 1 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAR 14-1972 sum 1 BF 2 INVENTOR JOSEPH H. LOCK FIG. 2

. ATTORNEY RECLOSABLE CONTAINER Known containers are provided with face contacting panels secured together to form a composite closure panel and wherein a pair of straight generally paralleled weakened severance lines are formed in the outer panel to define a tear strip which when removed accommodates opening of the container or at least of the composite panel thereof. Such constructions which also utilize means for securing the outer panel to the inner panel are objectionable because high speed machine elements tend to cause undesired buckling or bending of the outer panel along the straight parallel severance lines which define the tear strip.

According to this invention a tear strip is defined by a pair of serrated generally parallel weakened severance lines which by virture of the serrated shape thereof tend to prevent undesired buckling or bending of the outer panel along the severance lines. In addition an opening is formed in the innerpanel and disposed in general coincidence with the reclosing serrations formed in the outer panel and defined by an edge of the tear strip remote from the edge of the outer panel which is secured to the inner panel. If desired, a number of reclosing serrations may be inserted into the opening formed in the inner panel and to this end the inner panel opening ordinarily is generally rectangular in configuration and the longitudinal dimension thereof preferably is approximately an even multiple of the base of the reclosing serrations which preferably are substantially uniform in configuration.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a set-up closed container constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the container of FIG. 1 is formed;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the container of FIG. 1 and showing the container after the tear strip has been removed and in reclosed condition; and in which FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view of the container before removal of the tear strip.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a bottom wall of the container to which a glue flap 2 is foldably joined along one edge 3 thereof. Side wall 4 is foldably joined along fold line 5 to another side edge of bottom wall 1 Top wall 6 is foldably joined along fold line 7 to side wall 4 and along fold line 8 to side wall 9. Glue flap 2 is afiixed in known manner to side wall 9 along the edge thereof remote from fold line 8.

At one end of the container, a pair of side wall end flaps l0 and 11 are foldably joined along fold line 12 and 13 to the end edges of side walls 4 and 9 respectively. Inner end wall panel 14 is foldably joined along fold line 15 to an end edge of bottom wall 1 while outer end wall panel 16 is foldably joined along fold line 17 to an end edge of top wall 6. When the carton is set up, the flaps l0 and I1 and end wall panels 14 and 16 are disposed in substantially flat face contacting relation and outer panel 16 is secured as by glue or otherwise to the outer surface of bottom end wall panel 14.

At the other end of the container, a closure flap 18 is foldably joined along fold line 19 to an end edge of side wall 4 while closure flap 20 is foldably joined along fold line 21 to an end edge of side wall 9. Inner panel 22 is foldably joined along fold line 23 to an end edge of bottom wall 1 while outer wall panel 24 is foldably joined along fold line 25 to an end edge of top wall 6.

When the carton is assembled filled and closed as shown in FIG. 1, outer panel 24 is disposed in fiat face contacting relation to the inner wall panel 22. More specifically the area of outer panel 24 generally designated by the numeral 26 and to which stippling is applied is secured to the area generally designated by the numeral 27 to which stippling is also applied. Of course the closure flaps 18 and 20 are disposed inside inner wall panel 22 and serve to close in a secure manner defined by a pair of generall iarallel serrated weakened severance lrnes 29 and 0. Pul ta s 31 and 32 are formed at the ends of the tear strip 28. According to a feature of this invention, the serrated edges 29 and 30 preclude undesired bending or buckling of outer panel 24 as frequently occurs in constructions of this type where the weakened lines defining a tear strip are straight and generally parallel.

For receiving one or more reclosing serrations such as are designated in FIG. 3 by the numerals 33 and 34, an aperture 35 is formed in inner panel 22. As is apparent particularly from FIG. 2, the aperture 35 is generally rectangular in configuration and its longitudinal dimension between ends 36 and 37 is substantially an even multiple of the longitudinal dimension of the base of the uniform reclosing serrations as indicated generally in FIG. 3 by the letter X.

Thus with the carton assembled filled and closed as shown in FIG. 1, a reopening operation is effected by simply grasping one of the ends such as 31 and 32 and exerting a tearing pull sufficient to remove the tear strip.

In order to reclose the composite panel comprising outer wall panel 24 and inner wall panel 22, it is simply necessary to swing the reclosing portion of outer wall panel 24 disposed between the serrated line 30 and the fold line 25 and designated by the numeral 38 into fiat face contacting relation with the inner panel 22 while simultaneously inserting the reclosing serrations into the opening 35 as is apparent in FIG. 3. The serrations which constitute the reclosing serrations are designated by the numerals 33 and 34. If desired one or more such serrations may be inserted into opening 35.

In the drawings the portion of the outer panel 24 which is secured to the portion 27 of the inner panel 22 is defined by the free edge 39 of outer panel 24 and by the serrations 29. The reclosing portion 38 of the outer panel 24 is defined by fold line 25 and serrations 30.

In order to insure efficient and easy opening of the tear strip 31 and in accordance with a feature of the invention, the serrations 29 and 30 each constitutes a series of nicks. For example serration 30 comprises nicks such as 40 and 41 while weakened serrated severance line 29 comprises a series of nicks such as are designated by the numerals 42 and 43. According to one feature of the invention, each nick such as 40 in severance line 30 is disposed in a staggered relationship with respect to the nicks such as 42 and 43 in severance line 29. Thus when end portion such as 31 and 32 of the tear strip 28 is grasped and a pulling force applied thereto, only one nick such as 40 or 42, 41 or 43 is severed at a particular instant, provided a normal tear operation is performed. By this means the tear strip is rendered efficiently and easily removable.

The embodiments of my invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A reclosable container having at least one composite wall comprising inner and outer face contacting panels, means for securing said outer panel to said inner panel only in an area along one edge of said outer panel, a pair of serrated weakened severance lines formed in said outer panel in spaced relation to each other, said serrated lines being generally uniform in configuration and with individual serrations parallel to each other and with said lines being generally parallel to said one edge of said outer panel so as to define a tear strip in said outer panel for severing said outer panel to open the container, and an opening formed in said inner panel and disposed to receive at least one reclosing serration formed in said outer panel along an edge of said tear strip remote from said one edge of said outer panel upon removal of said tear strip and the subsequent reclosure of the container, said opening being generally rectangular in configuration and the longitudinal dimension thereof being a substantially even multiple of the dimension of the base of one of said reclosing serrations. 

1. A reclosable container having at least one composite wall comprising inner and outer face contacting panels, means for securing said outer panel to said inner panel only in an area along one edge of said outer panel, a pair of serrated weakened severance lines formed in said outer panel in spaced relation to each other, said serrated lines being generally uniform in configuration and with individual serrations parallel to each other and with said lines being generally parallel to said one edge of said outer panel so as to define a tear strip in said outer panel for severing said outer panel to open the container, and an opening formed in said inner panel and disposed to receive at least one reclosing serration formed in said outer panel along an edge of said tear strip remote from said one edge of said outer panel upon removal of said tear strip and the subsequent reclosure of the container, said opening being generally rectangular in configuration and the longitudinal dimension thereof being a substantially even multiple of the dimension of the base of one of said reclosing serrations. 